CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Eaton Corp. last week introduced a new transmission that company spokesmen say will be the “platform for the firm’s transmission offerings well into the next millennium.”
The system has been dubbed the “Lightning Series.” It “redefines transmission design,” said Jeff Romig, Eaton’s manager of worldwide product planning.
First out will be a 10-speed model with 1,650 foot-pounds of torque, with more models planned.
s the transmission was shown to media and Eaton dealers here, the company kept using the phrase “clean sheet of paper.”
Eric Samuelson, program manager, said although the new product incorporates some existing Eaton components and technology, the design approach was to “revalidate or set aside all long-standing conventions regarding how to build a heavy-duty truck transmission.
Highlights cited by spokesmen included:
An on-board electronic control unit with software that communicates with the engine via an industry-standard datalink.
Co-centric countershafts that allow for reduced transmission weight and length while making parts less complex.
All-helical gearing that reduces in-cab noise.
Single-rod shift controls that provide more precise shifting.
An internal oil-to-water heat exchanger that uses engine coolant to maintain transmission lubricant at the ideal operating temperature.
For the full story, see the March 15 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
